French farm bill sparks record-breaking petition signatures

The petition, which was against a French Farm Bill that relaxed environmental regulations for farming and included the use of pesticides accused of harming honeybees, set a new record in terms of signatures. This increased pressure on the French government to review the law.

The petition, launched by a student aged 23 this month, is a new challenge to President Emmanuel Macron who has been under pressure over his budget-cutting efforts.

By Monday morning it had collected 1.3 million signatures, making it the first petition to exceed 500,000 on the website of the National Assembly.

In France, petitions that have over half a milllion signatures can trigger a debate in the parliament, but they do not need a new vote. Yael Brun-Pivet, the chairwoman of the National Assembly and former prime minister Gabriel Attal have both said that they support a debate.

The conservative Laurent Duplomb proposed a draft law that would reauthorise use of the neonicotinoid acetamiprid pesticide, which is one of a number of chemicals that European Food Safety Agency EFSA assessed as posing a threat to bees.

The petition also seeks to simplify approvals of livestock breeding facilities and ease irrigation rules. In the petition, it is called a "scientific aberration" and a "health, environmental, ethical and scientific aberration".

In May, French farmers protested against the amendments to the bill that opposition legislators had filed. They said these would allow them to compete with EU counterparts. France is home to some of the biggest sugar beet producers in Europe, including Tereos and Cristal Union.

The growers claim that acetamiprid is essential to combat yellows disease which will reduce sugar production by 30% and yields in 2020.

Arnaud Rouseau, the president of France's biggest farm union FNSEA told radio station franceinfo that "we need to maintain our production means" and that the statements made were exaggerated.

The bill was defended by the government, but the outcry was acknowledged.

Sophie Primas, spokesperson for the government, said: "We have to listen." Perhaps we haven't reassured or explained enough. This law aims to bring French farmers on an even footing with European counterparts. (Reporting and editing by Jan Harvey; Elizabeth Pineau, Sybille de la Hamaide)

(source: Reuters)